GasBuddy News Article

National Geographic
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The night sky may glow bluer as yellow-orange streetlights are gradually replaced by whiter, energy-saving lights, a new study says.

Light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, cast a bluish glow in the sky and are about 20 percent more efficient than industry-standard streetlamps, that generate red-colored light pollution.

With LED efficiency expected to double to 40 percent in a few years, it's inevitable that governments worldwide will opt to save energy by switching to LEDs, which also last longer and require less maintenance.

"The likely worldwide transition to increased LED street lighting may have an effect on research topics as diverse" as disruptions of animals' circadian rhythms and air pollution, the study authors write.

I have some LED flashlights and they sure do produce a lot of light. My monitor is also and LED and it is brighter and uses less electricity compared to a tube or LCD monitor. The idea of using LED lights may work.

My circadian rhythms could use some adjustment. Maybe I will see if I can change the CFL in the coach lamp in front of my house with a bluer shaded LED... that light coming in the window at night can be a bit annoying.

It makes no difference here, these street lights are on 24/7; you can phone to complain, they don't do a thing about lights burning all day. Here, these street lights burn and no civic elected person bothers to get them shut off. So energy-efficient or not, what we really need is energy-efficient employees.

Red light is good because it helps preserve your night vision. I was on nuclear submarines when I was in the Navy and they always rigged the control room for red lights or the OOD wore red goggles during the night watch hours to make sure they had good night vision if they had to look out the pericope.

So when we go from an area with the new "bluer" LED lights to a darker area our night vision will possibly be wiped out for several minutes...

Moving from lighted to unlighted areas with these so called bright lights will be a safety issue. How long will it take you to adjust to the changes and what will it do to your reaction time driving at night.